Tuesday, 3 December 2013

TAKE IT OUTSIDE: The Jamaica Orchid Society in the spotlight + Aspiring soccer greats on show in local tournaments

PLAYING THE FIELD: From all indications, the Samsung Cup youth football tournament had a successful breakout season. The Kingston leg of the inaugural tourney saw the youthfully energetic Holy Family Primary being crowned champions at Stadium East on Saturday. A week from now they will face their counterparts from the Montego Bay leg in a battle for the national title. This year's overall champion school will receive a grand prize of a fully equipped media room, valued at US$10,000, courtesy of Samsung Jamaica.....And while we're on the subject of aspiring soccer stars, expectations are high all around as this year's Olivier Shield showdown draws nigh. It's shaping up to be a bonafide clash of the titans between high-flying Manning Cup winners Jamaica College and the beastly lads of St. Elizabeth Technical, who bagged the ISSA/LIME DaCosta Cup Trophy on the weekend. Expecting fireworks.

IN FULL BLOOM: One of the oldest associations of its kind in this hemisphere (well over 70 years and counting), the Jamaica Orchid Society is one of those bodies committed to walking the walk with its members. "One of our major objectives is increasing the interest in orchids in the Jamaican public, so as to educate those people who are growers to know a little more," explains Michael Duquesnay, now in his second year as president. "We want to bring people to a position where they are growing better and better orchids." This past Saturday, the grounds of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Association in Kingston were decked out with booths and lavish displays showcasing a full, wide range of the gorgeous plant, as buyers and sellers engaged in transactions and later attended workshops, which brought together everything (and the kitchen sink) associated with orchids. Says Duquesnay, "They are without question the most beautiful flowers in the world, and there is available an astonishing range of choice, forms and colours." Today more than 2,800 naturally occurring species of orchids are in existence.